Liverpool’s signing of Alexis Mac Allister ranks higher than Arsenal’s capture of Declan Rice this summer.
The Reds signed Mac Allister in a handy looking £35m deal from Brighton. Meanwhile Arsenal smashed the £100m barrier to bring Rice in from West Ham.
The England international’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium has been widely heralded as a crucial one for the Gunners. But ranking the Premier League’s signings of the summer for The Daily Mail, Souness places the Rice transfer at a lowly number 10.
Mac Allister fares a little better, with the pundit rating the Argentine’s move to Anfield as the third best of the whole league.
“You try to eliminate risk when signing a player, and he is tried and tested in our football,” Souness raved. “He was brilliant at the World Cup, but forget that — I like him for what he has done here. I’m also attracted to him because of his bonny name. He should be playing for Scotland!
“He is hard-working and can pick a pass. He plays in a position where your thinking has to be quick and your touch needs to be good, and he ticks those boxes. The question is, can he make the jump from Brighton to Liverpool? He is expected to win every week now.”
Mason Mount’s move from Chelsea to Manchester United tops Souness’ list. Meanwhile, James Maddison joining Tottenham from Leicester is number two.
Liverpool praised for Mac Allister deal
Before anyone starts arguing, Souness isn’t claiming that Mac Allister is a better player than Rice here.
He’s simply saying that considering the fee paid, the suitability to the team etc, the Liverpool man comes out on top. We’re biased, and so possibly is Souey, but we’re minded to agree.
Rice is obviously a fine player, and one Liverpool would have dearly liked to have signed for themselves. But Arsenal already seemingly had decent options in that area of the pitch.
As good as he is, it’s hard to see how he transforms Arsenal from the second best team in the league, to the best.
Mac Allister meanwhile is a clear upgrade on what the Reds had last season. With his help, it’s easy to see Liverpool bettering their fifth-place finish from last season.
It’s also worth pointing out the absolute bargain price. As the ongoing discussions for Moises Caicedo have proven, it isn’t easy to find value in this market.
Arsenal had to go above and beyond to get Rice, just as Liverpool are doing with Caicedo. But to snatch Mac Allister for £35m in this day and age is nothing short of remarkable. What a signing.